What happened to all those ‘Strays of Christmas’?

Butter (top) and Fudge, from KC Pet Project, decided they liked playing better than posing, even in fake snow. Both pups were adopted a week ago.
ALLISON LONG
The Kansas City Star

We’re pleased and happy — wagging our tails, you might say — to report that all but one of “The 12 Strays of Christmas” we’ve been featuring in The Star now have homes.

Heck, some proved so irresistible, they were snatched up before we even ran their pictures.

The only one still waiting at a shelter is today’s featured pet, Charlie, the shepherd mix at Wayside Waifs.

Among the lucky dogs (and cats): On Friday, gray-and-white kitty Nessie (Day 7) leaped down from her pedestal and into the arms of a couple who saw her in the paper. Willis (Day 4), the Jack Russell/rat terrier mix who danced for us on video, was adopted Thursday, also from the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City.

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Even Wayside’s Babs the camera-shy basset hound — not an official Stray, although she made a cameo in FYI on Dec. 9 — was claimed Wednesday, and so were her puppies.

Plenty more kitties and pooches are waiting to be adopted:

▪ From Great Plains SPCA: All its featured pets have been spoken for. But if you’re in the market for a fur baby, Great Plains is running an adoption special through Tuesday: cats and kittens, $20; dogs, $50. (greatplainsspca.org, Merriam 913-831-7722, Independence 816-621-7722)

▪ From Humane Society of Greater Kansas City: The featured pets found homes. Then there’s Diesel, a 3-year-old red and white pit bull who, as they say, never met a stranger. Diesel, not one of our official 12, is “a good ambassador for the breed,” HSGKC board member Jana Brunner says.

He and several other dogs will take part in an adoption event Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Brookside Barkery & Bath, 118 W. 63rd St. (hsgkc.org, 913-596-1000, adoption center in Kansas City, Kan.)

▪ From KC Pet Project: All were claimed. Now through Dec. 28, the shelter is running adoption specials, $40 for dogs and $20 for cats.

Our 12 days of “Strays” spurred increased traffic and brisk business, the shelters tell us. “The series has been great for garnering adoption attention,” says Danielle Sather of Wayside Waifs.

Rachel Hodgson at Great Plains says her shelter has also seen a lot of action on Facebook and Twitter “about our ‘stars’ in The Star.”

“The campaign has really brought awareness to the volume of homeless pets we have at Great Plains SPCA and other area shelters,” she says.

Our thanks to the four shelters for their help in putting the “12 Strays” in front of the animal-loving public. And thanks to everyone who’s stepped forward to improve the lives of Kansas City’s homeless dogs and cats.